Sweet and strong, gourmand and bitter, soft, spicy and warm, with some animalic facets. Vanilla is one of the most popular and sought-after notes in perfume. It’s simple, spicy, sweetness is a powerful aphrodisiac, and it blends wonderfully with any other note. The range of vanilla accents is deep, ranging from light, filigreed frosting to plush, heavy, smoky syrup. It’s natural spiciness allows vanilla to pair well with not only other sweet, dessert notes but also exotic additions like suede, patchouli, yuzu, or litchee fruit, gardenia and tuberose. What’s best about vanilla perfumes is that they are always appropriate no matter the season, and transition instantly from light day wear to ultra-sensual late-night looks. Vanilla perfumes are a must in any collection, and the variety available will allow years of happy sampling. For those seeking the finest, spiciest style in vanilla scent - start by trying Madagascar vanilla first.

A potent, penetrative scent of warm, peppery and pervasive facets. Cinnamon is adored for its ability to add a spicy flair to ambery and woody compositions. Lingering long after other scents have disappeared, cinnamon makes for a gorgeously sultry base note with its warm, soft and subtly sweet nuances.

Oud is a very popular essence among the Persian Gulf countries. Across Arabia, men and women are known to dote over the raw material—admiring the lavish fragrance for all its warmth and complexity. In fact, oud is so popular in Arabian fragrances that there exists several subfamilies of oud (such as fruit oud, leather oud, rose oud—and the list goes on!). Agarwood, or oud, is the most expensive note in a perfumer’s palette. It has been valued for thousands of years and is considered one of the most luxurious ingredients in the world of perfumery. Oud is derived from the dark resin of the Agar tree, which grows in very rare conditions. Although its popularity skyrocketed in the past decade, oud has been known and used by various ancient civilizations in esoteric ceremonies and meditation practices for hundreds of years. Perfect for cold weather, oud has a distinctively woody, slightly animalic, and rich scent. Oud’s warmth adds whole new brevity and depth when combined with floral or spicy notes.

Warm, soft and sweet, the note of incense is used as a fixative in perfumery to add a spicy, balsamic and even lemon-scented facet to amber and vanilla accords. It can evoke notes that recall myrrh or elemi, and is generally thought to evoke a deep, rich and woody aroma. Incense used as perfume is as old as time itself. Incense notes in a fragrance instantly catapult you into a realm of ancient mystery and devotion. It’s woody, spicy aridity captivates the senses while its variety of aromas could take a lifetime to smell. From High Mass blends of frankincense and myrrh, to lilting soft florals and serenely dry Asian woods, incense accords create an spiritual altar for your senses.